Mr. Rosenfelt makes me laugh out loud. His Andy Carpenter books are funny and interesting with always a touch of intrigue. His capacity for musing dialogue is unsurpassed and his insight into his characters is endearing. Another good addition to the series. ( )

Another good Rosenfelt book with Andy Carpenter, Laurie Collins, and Tara. Andy goes to Findlay, Wisconsin at the request of ex girlfriend Laurie now acting police chief in her home town. She has arrested a teen named Jeremy for killing his ex girlfriend and another girl part of a secretive town call Centurion and the strange religion that revolves around a mysterious wheel and someone called the keeper. It was a very satisfying read and most of all I am happy Laure and Andy will continue to see each other. :) ( )

A relatively entertaining audiobook, but with a host of plot-related flaws. Right off the bat, I felt that the main character, Andy Carpenter, suffered from a bad case of Mary Sue disease: wealthy, powerful, popular, and irresistible to women,he is also a media darling and (at least, so we are told) a fantastic defence lawyer. We are introduced to him when he is still reeling from the loss of his romantic interest and has been celibate for four whole months! Gasp! Tragedy! And clearly all the girl's fault! What in his misogynistic mind is a horrific and coldblooded betrayal was actually her finding her perfect job in her own community where she grew up, and him being unwilling to move to be with her. Because god forbid that a man, even one with $25M to spare, ever make any career or location sacrifice for a woman.

Mystery-wise, the evildoer is awfully obvious, the plot requires a large concatenation of circumstances, and I felt like we had a bad case of Did Not Do The Research. There is a nearby oh-so-scary religious cult which is clearly a biased blend of scientology and Mormonism, a rather pathetically unrealistic set of court scenes, and a far too naive defence attorney as the main character. That perhaps irritated me most; detection and initial determination of guilt before accepting a case...well, that isn't how the justice system works, or, indeed, is supposed to work. Fortunately, the narrator's cheery and self-deprecating cynicism, likeable side characters, and a dog elevated this from abysmal to relatively enjoyable. The narrator is not half as funny as he thinks he is, but I'm a sucker for that type of narrator affect. In addition, the much- maligned ex is on the scene, and the narrator is far less bitter and hateful to her in person than in his thoughts. Last, I listened to this on audio and I always get a kick out of anything that Grover Gardner reads. ( )

Wikipedia in English (1)

After Laurie Collins left him and headed west, New Jersey defense attorney Andy Carpenter didn't expect to ever see her again. So he's shocked when his ex-girlfriend appears on TV--and then calls him pleading for his help. Two coeds in Wisconsin have been found brutally stabbed to death. As the town's acting police chief, Laurie had to arrest a young college student with a carful of bloodstains who argued with one of the victims just before her death. Yet Laurie strongly believes that the suspect, Jeremy Davidson, is innocent.

Trading the refineries and factories of Paterson for the frozen pastures of Findlay, Wisconsin, Andy soon finds himself in a small town handling a big-time double homicide case. He looks into Jeremy's romance with one of the victims--and the possible involvement of a bizarre religious cult--one that may sanction the most unholy, and vicious, of acts.

While Andy tries to save Jeremy, make sense of his love life, and find a decent pizza for his beloved dog, Tara, the secrets of an ultra-religious community begin to rain down on him like bricks from a cracked fortress. But as Edgar®-nominated Rosenfelt proves to us once again, the path to the truth is littered with lies and misdirection. And before it's all over, the unexpected is the only thing Andy can count on.

"Coasting on his inheritance of $22 million, New Jersey defense attorney Andy Carpenter is not inclined to take on any cases--until his ex-girlfriend, Laurie Collins, calls from the Midwest pleading for his help. Trading the factories of Paterson for the frozen pastures of Findlay, Wisconsin, Andy finds himself in a small town handling a big-time double homicide case. But while he tries to save a young suspect, make sense of his love life, and find a decent pizza for his beloved dog, Tara, Andy uncovers the bizarre workings of a mysterious ultra-religious community. Now he must find the connections between the murders and the cult, or more lives will be in jeopardy--including his own"--P. [4] of cover.… (more)